With the increasing number of construction projects, pre-cast concrete members are used frequently due to relative ease of installing the members by using cranes to position the members in place as opposed to conventional practices requiring the fabrication of forms and prolonged curing times. Typically, pre-cast concrete members are used to assemble highway overpasses, parking decks and various other projects, wherein horizontal and vertical members such as girders and columns are connected to one another.
Often the girders and columns, have holes disposed therein enabling an attachment means to be inserted therethrough for connecting and orienting the girders and the columns in an orthogonal relationship to one another. Long threaded bolts, and large nuts and washers capable of bearing extremely heavy loads of weight are typical attachment means used to connect pre-cast concrete girders and columns.
Although, the attachment means are initially sufficient in strength to bare the intended weight of the structures, due to the exposure of adverse environmental conditions such as precipitation and wind, the integrity of the attachment means deteriorates as a result of corrosion. To resolve such problems earlier cover members were developed to shield the attachment means from exposure to such adverse conditions, thereby prolonging the life of the attachment means, and thus, the structure.
Although, earlier cover members were capable of shielding the attachment means from the adverse weather conditions, these cover members failed to provide a tight and secure fit for the cover, such that when positioned to cover the attachment means the cover would be permanently locked in place. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a cover member that tightly and securely attaches to a connection sleeve.
The earlier cover members also failed to provide protection for the attachment means from the weather and to provide a secure fit for covers which could accommodate attachment means that were bent or angled due to the misalignment of holes within the girders and columns. There also exists a need in the field to provide tight and secure fitting end caps within connection sleeves wherein the connection sleeves are capable of accommodating bent and slightly off-set attachment means.
It is therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide and end cap locking mechanism capable of providing the needed and desired durable permanently locking cover to protect and shield the attachment means within the pre-cast concrete structures.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an end cap locking mechanism having a connecting sleeve and an end cap that together provide protection of the attachment means from adverse outside weather conditions. It is also an object of the present invention to accommodate attachment means which are bent or angled due to the misalignment of holes within the girders and columns, which otherwise would be incapable of proper attachment, or being protected.
Further objects and features of the present invention will become evident hereinafter.